


A (Foot)Note in the Margins of History

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: That's Just Life [11]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Bliss, F/M, Final Fantasy VII Rare Pair Week, History of AVALANCHE, M/M, Multi, Museums, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 21:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13749759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: In Edge's Museum lies a book that has a history of the Planet. Honestly though, most people go for the notes written in the margins because they tell quite the story.Day 5 of FFVII Rarepair Week: Domestic Life





	A (Foot)Note in the Margins of History

**Author's Note:**

> So this is technically combining prompts but I finally got it done! 
> 
> Please enjoy~

* * *

Cloud's desk is uncluttered with anything but a very large manuscript book and four separate sets of pens. It's nearly a decade old at this point and the foxed edges prove it if not the cover itself, worn smooth by how many hands have run over it. 

It's technically a history of AVALANCHE and ShinRa, the rise of the former and the fall of the latter and how the Planet is better off for it in the long run. 

It's biased and cutting and written in Nibel, of all things, but there's a second book, tucked into the shelf next to the desk, which translates it into Common and then a third which does the same in Wutainese. 

Cloud works on it in bits and pieces, as this story must be told with a certain mindset Cloud doesn't always have. 

What sets apart this particular copy is that inside, written on the margins, are little notes in red and maroon ink with replies in bright blue. 

'We're out of bread' says one in maroon with the reply in blue, 'I'll pick some up after my delivery this morning.' 

'I changed the oil in Fenrir, it was getting dirty.' says one in rich red, followed with, 'I was about to do that but thanks.' 

Sometimes it's the blue which has a task or a question and a reply is written in two shades of red. 

'Did we wake Vincent up before our trip to the North or after?' comes with the reply of, 'Before, as I recall. Aerith and I talked flowers for sometime before we headed North,' and 'Before, because he shot that monster where we got Typhoon's Summon from and ended up keeping it.' 

'Who did I take on a date to the Golden Saucer?' is scrawled hastily, almost shaking at some points.

'Barret,' says the maroon. 'but I wouldn't have minded had you taken Aerith.' 

'Barret, because you didn't want to insult either of the ladies and Yuffie refused your offer. Aerith said she would've liked to have been in the ride with you but more wistfully than any real desire.' says the red, 'She said something about letters, 98 of them.' 

'... Zack, then.' comes the reply in blue, the page marked with faint watermarks that could be tears. This prompts the first heart, rough and unpracticed, in the rich red ink. It's followed by another in maroon. 

There are grocery lists, requests for gun oil (red) and sword oil (blue) and new gloves (maroon) on the same page, suggestions for birthday gifts for AVALANCHE, recipes for bar drinks in a variety of colors but mostly those three, all squeezed into the margins. 

There is one, in sparkling green, that only says, 'You three are adorable.' 

Another in sparkling violet, 'This book is going to be one hell of a history lesson, huh, Spike?'

* * *

The book and it's various translations are put into a museum when it's nearly two-hundred and fifty-seven. 

The notes are of particular interest to historians trying to piece together the life of the author and his note-sharing friends. 

The blue writing and the black ink are similar enough to be pinned as the same person. 

There are quite a few scholars that believe the reds belong to two other members of AVALANCHE and the writing of one is in old, faded ShinRa records, the strokes a precise match, though nearly thirty years apart. 

There's a break-in of the museum at some point and on the back page's margins, there's more scrawling in ink that is very familar with the book, if nothing else. 

'Didn't think they'd take my book as historical fact instead of ShinRa's side.' is the blue that appears the following morning after the break-in. 

It's the second and third break-ins that has one historian believing that the author and his companions are still alive. 

'History is written by the victors, is it not? At least Rolf is better than his predecessors when it comes to the Planet.' comes the reply in the, by now, familiar rich red. 'Would you want him to repeat his many-times great-grandfather's mistakes?' 

'Honestly, you two, this book can't take much more sunlight. Be nice to it. I think it's still got my grocery list in it and I like seeing it without getting kicked out of the museum, y'know.' comes the chiding in maroon, though it's tempered with a hastily-drawn heart. 

'Nah, Rolf is cool. Still can't believe Barret gave it to a _museum_ is all. I thought he'd hold onto it.' the blue seems to be sheepish, long and looping as it is. 

'Perhaps he saw how much it meant to us and therefore had it preserved so that we may look upon it and remember.'

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
